Bill Nelson
Clarence William Nelson II is an American attorney, public official, former United States senator, former NASA Administrator, and former shuttle . His spaceflight is unusual because he flew as a sitting member of Congress.
- Born
- September 29, 1942
- Died
- N/A
- Birthplace
- Miami, Florida,United States
Flights
1
Spacewalks
0
EVA time
N/A
In space
6 days, 2 hours, 3 minutes
Bio
Nelson studied political science and law, served in the United States Army Reserve, and entered public service before flying on STS-61-C in 1986 as a congressional payload specialist.
STS-61-C deployed the SATCOM Ku-1 satellite and became the final shuttle mission before the Challenger accident. Nelson's presence on the crew reflected the shuttle program's political and public-facing ambitions.
After the flight, Nelson served for decades in elected office and later led NASA as Administrator during the Artemis and era.